Journal box packing



Oct. 27, 1959 R. J. HARKENRIDER JOURNAL BOX PACKING 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 13. 1954 INVENTQR.

0 2 w a m 1 9 w 2, w

5 m Km RB AL m m v Oct. 27, 1959 Filed Oct 13 1954 Filed Oct. 13, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

Oct. 27, 1959 R. J. HARKENRIDER JOURNAL BOX PACKING File d Oct. 13. 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 v IN VE N TOR.

27, 1959 R. J. HARKENRIDER 2,910,330

JOURNAL BOX PACKING Filed Oct. 13. 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 United States Patent 1 2,910,330 JOURNAL BOX PACKING 2 Claims. (Cl. 308-243) The present invention relates to a journal box packing for railway cars and the like, and more specifically to a journal box packing employing a resilient bore encircled by a lubricating waste blanket.

Conventional journal box packing is waste threads of wool or cotton, or both, specified by A.A.R. Mechanical Division manual A-905, and the standard practice of applying it to a journal box is specified by the same manual L34.

The material and its application to journal boxes has been in common use for many years attended by many objections and difliculties. The increased speed and mileage of freight cars has so multiplied those things as to result in an emergency for different and better journal box packing. i

The principal object of this invention is to overcome thepast difficulties and to obtain substantial uniformity of packing and lubrication with freedom from waste grab, hot boxes, etc.

Generally speaking, this is accomplished by providing packing in packages of uniform size and other characteristics, and that are readily installed in the journal boxes in proper relation to the journal and the oil cellar.

Each package includes a loop of fabric or sheet as a carrier, a uniform layer of waste oryarn on the loop having threads interlaced with or through it and made fast to it, and a resilient core having a high compression factor in the loop distending it and furnishing it with appropriate pressure to apply the waste to the journal.

The best way to get a uniform layer of waste for an applicator is to card the waste and interlace it with a fabric or other sheet as or just after it is delivered from the carding machine or waste puller, although other machines will feed waste or yarn in a usable layer for interlacing it with the fabric.

Interlacing well done will fasten most of the waste threads against being pulled out by the journal, but additional fastening with an adhesive on the inside of the carrier adds an important and desirable factor of safety against waste grab, and also adds an oil barrier to form a reserve pool of oil directly beneath the journal.

Heavy, open weave cotton cloth, similar to laundry bag cloth, makes a good carrier for journal box waste. The main fabric may be supplemented by a thin sheet including or receiving the adhesive.

A variety of woven or sheeted materials will serve for the carrier in whole or in part, and many fibers laced or interlaced through or with the carrier and made fast with adhesive will serve; but a loop of open weave cotton on the order of laundry bag cloth having a layer of journal box waste outside and inside, with the threads interlaced through and made fast with an oil resistant adhesive on the inside of the loop, is preferred.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as the description is read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form of journal box packing embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of one form of resilient core forming part of the packing illustrated in Figure .1;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a laminated blanket forming part of the packing illustrated in Figure 1;

into a loop as indicated in Figure 3 with its end? portions means for securing the core 16 to the sub-assembly 13a,

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Figure 4 is a longitudinal section through the journal box and axle journal equipped with the packing shown in Figure 1; v

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view along line 5-5 of Figure 4; 1

Figure 6 is a view similar to'that of Figure 5 illustrat inga modified form of core;

Figure 7 is an enlarged section of the basic laminated material comprising the Waste blanket;

Figure 8 is a plan view of Figure 7, parts being. broken away to show the different characteristics of the several layers;

Figure. 9 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view through the packing illustrated in Figure 1 showing one form of fastening means for securing the envelope to the core;

Figure 10 is a perspective view of the fastening means illustrated in Figure 9;

Figure 11 is a View similar to Figure 9 illustrating another form of fastening means, with parts broken away; and

Figure 12 is a perspective view of one of the strips used in Figure 11.

Referring now. more particularly to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the several views, reference numeral 10 of Figures 4 and 5 indicates a conventional journal box on a conventional axle journal 11 with a packing according to the present invention, generally indicated by reference numeral 12, in place between the lower portion of the journal and the bottom of the journal box in what is commonly referred was the oil cellar of the journal box.

In one way of making the package or packing embodying this invention, a rectangular blank 13 of laminated waste blanket made as hereinafter described is formed broughttog'ether and made fast at 14. The edges of the blank are bound. as indicated at 15, which may be done by putting it through an edging or edge stitching machine. A pair of handles 58 may be secured to the blanket where shown in Figure 3 to complete the' sub-assembly 13a;

which receives a resilient core 16 by which the blanket material is distended and held in place between the axle journal and journal box. These elements, including novel are-more specifically described hereinafter.

The waste blanket through a carrier of fabric or sheet material, said carrier including capillary material to raise lubricating oil to the layer of waste adjacent the journal when the package of the present invention is positioned as described above.

As already indicated, the best way to get a uniform layer of waste for the waste blanket of applicator 12 is to card the waste and interlace it with a fabric or other sheet as or just after it is delivered from the carding machine or waste puller. Carding machines and water pullers which deliver a layer of substantially uniform waste have long been familiar, and machines for booking the waste to the fabric are also known, an example of the latter being United States Patent No. 2,672,673, granted March 23, 1954. c

As the layer or layers of waste and fabric go through a hooking machine, they pass over a hooking plate, where they are subjected to the action of a multitude of hooked needles reciprocating up and down.

The carding machine delivers the layer of waste in substantially uniform thickness and with the waste threads extending generally lengthwise to the layer, although the Patented Oct. 27, 1959 natural wave of the threads makes them depart from strict parallelism to the direction in which the sheet is delivered.

As the layer of waste and fabric go through the action of the hooked needles, many of the waste threads are caught by the hooks and pulled downwardly in loops through the remainder of the layer of waste and through the fabric, and formed into loops below the fabric. In some instances, the waste threads will be caught near the top of the layer-in others, deeper into the layer--but the overall effect is to hook individual threads of waste through the mass of waste and the fabric and not only fasten those particular threads but associated threads into a blanket in which, generally speaking, all the threads are made fast against being pulled out in service.

During this hooking operation with waste and a carrier such as an open weave cotton-like laundry bag cloth, the weave is tightened or shrunk by the interlacing of the threads which are thereby brought into intimate contact with the threads of the cloth in such a way as to promote ready transfer of oil from the cloth to the waste threads.

The number of needles, the spacing of the needles, and the number of passes through the blanket per unit of length, determine how thoroughly the threads of waste are interlaced through the blanket from side to side. In many instances, the loops pull through the fabric or interlace below so as to actually knit the whole together.

In Figures 7 and 8, reference numeral 17 indicates a relatively thick layer of waste interlaced with a woven carrier cloth 18 and a relatively thin layer 19 of waste. The three layers are thoroughly fastened together by the interlacing of waste threads. The thinner layer 19 may be formed entirely by hooking threads through the fabric from the thicker layer 17, or it can be in part formed by feeding a thin layer of carded waste under the carrier cloth before reaching the booking machine or in a supplementary or preliminary hooking machine. The relative thickness of the two layers of waste is a matter of choice.

The specifications for new waste for journal box packing issued by the Association of American Railroads require that the waste be double machined and thoroughly delinted to remove fly and short ends. Those things, together with the specifications for quality and minimum length, insure that the laminated blanket shown in Fig ures 7 and 8 is composed in the main of waste as specified so interlaced in the several laminations that each and every thread of that waste is made fast, and the entire blanket is free from objectionable lint and short ends. The use of such a laminated blanket in a packing as described insures that, no matter what the weather conditions, there is only a remote chance of the journal being able to pull a portion of a thread from the applicator and take it under the journal bearing. This distinguishes the packing of the present invention from the prior packing that has been in common use for many years with the attendant objections.

However, according to this invention, the inner or lower side of the thinner layer of waste is preferably treated with an adhesive 20 to fasten at the under side of the blanket all threads that go through to the under side of the blanket.

In addition, the adhesive forms a sort of pan or basin under the journal for a reservoir of lubricating oil that will not drain away while the car is still for a contory.

4 Hycar 1561 type OR-15 latex thickened by addition of 3 to 5 parts of 12 percent ammonium casein solution, is also very satisfactory as it has superior resistance to oil, and provides a more uniform layer, which does not penetrate the blanket unduly. This is because it can be thickened by the casein to a higher viscosity than can the No. 1552 latex. As a result, the blanket retains the surplus oil for a longer period of time and is not stiffened as much as when the latex is absorbed deeper into the blanket.

Hycar 1552 and 1561 are copolymers of butadiene and acrylonitrile.

Other suitable synthetic rubbers are described in Materials Handbook by Brady, 1944, McGraw-Hiil, page 523.

Referring again to Figures 7 and 8, the blanket may be provided with an additional fabric 21, and the adhesive layer is applied to that fabric as well as the interlaced threads.

This further insures that the adhesive will not penetrate so far into the blanketas to interfere with the proper capillary action thereof. When properly applied, the adhesive is confined to the lower side of the waste layer 19 and the fabric 21. Leno weave netting, commonly known as onion-bag material, has been found satisfactory for the supplemental fabric 21. Alternative material made from sisal fibers is also good.

The supplemental fabric adds materially to the strength of the blanket and enables the lubricator to hold its shape for extended periods of time in rough service in the journal box. The addition of the supplementary cloth also permits much more uniform film of adhesive to be applied to the back of the blanket, effecting a saving in the costly Hycar material.

Preferably the applicator surface of the waste package has the threads running generally parallel to the axis of the journal with which it is to be used as indicated in Figures 1 and 3, so that when the journal is reversed in 4 direction of rotation there is some turning of the threads that presents new surfaces to the journal and retards or eliminates glazing. v

The use of the laminated blanket, such as described, keeps the waste in place and makes it possible to use a smaller quantity of waste than required when the journal box is packed as recommended by the Association of American-Railroads. About 14 /2 ounces of laminated waste blanket is sufficient for a package to be used in a six by eleven inch'journal box, whereas the ordinaryway of packing such a package takes about two pounds of waste.

The resilient core The resilient core can be made of a variety of materials and many different constructions. Figures 2 and 5 illustrate a core 16 composed mainly of a stack of like by extruding in one piece, whereby the cellular structure is entirely integral and the distribution of material makes it possible to have an extremely light, springy element with a strong resistance to deforming under pressure and a high recovery upon release, even after being compressed. for a longtime under adverse temperature conditions. v

Cores corresponding to that shown in Figures 2 and 5 can be made in a great variety of forms. polygonal form can be extruded, whether regular, irregu- Of the many polygonal and generally polygonal forms which lend themselves to the application of the invention, the equilateral hexagon shown in Figures 2 and 5 is chosen because it lends itself so readily to making cores, and it has a structure particularly adapted for this purpose. Its springiness is very well suited to the needs of holding the appliactor 12 against the journal in spite of all the vibration, presence Almost any' of oil, cold, and other conditions that obtain in the journal box.

The production of the extruded core, including suitable materials, is the subject of applicants copending application Serial No. 418,442, filed March 24, 1954, the dis closure of which is incorporated herein by reference in the interests of brevity. The following illustrative formula or recipe for the compound used in making the core is to be found in said application:

Figure 6 illustrates another form of resilient core 36 composed mainly of a stack of like parallel tubes 37 which are circular in configuration when not under stress and which are vulcanized together at adjacent surfaces 38. This core is conveniently made by extruding the tubes simultaneously or separately, bringing them together while uncured, and curing them. The tendency to collapse can be controlled by injecting air or other fluid under pressure.

The extruded cores may be, and preferably are, made in one piece, however, and they are preferred to the form illustrated in Figure 5 because of the different strength qualities as well as the ease of manufacture. In one form of core 16 that has been found to be satisfactory, the resilient core is comprised of 58 hexagonal tubes on the order of W in size with wall thickness on the order of .020."

Fastening the envelope to the core Referring now more particularly to Figures 9-12, wherein two ways of fastening the resilient core, for instance, core 16, to the laminated envelope or blanket 13 are illustrated, reference numeral 40 (see Figure 10) generally indicates an H-shaped fastening member or strap comprising a pair of strips of cloth tape 42 secured, by stitching or other suitable means, to the ends of a Z-shaped connecting strip 44 of the same material. The fastening member or strap 40 is applied by bringing the ends of one of the strips 42 together and passing them through a suitably shaped slot 46 formed in the resilient core 16. The strips 42 are then cemented or vulcanized to the core at 48 and are sewed, cemented, or vulcanized to the end portions of the laminated envelope or blanket at 50.

In Figures 11 and 12, the laminated envelope or blanket 13 is fastened to the resilient core 16 by using a strip or strips of cloth tape 52 cemented or vulcanized to the core at 54 and sewed, cemented or vulcanized to the end portions of the laminated envelope or blanket at 56. In one form of this embodiment that has been found satisfactory, one strip above and another below are sufficient.

The strips '42, 44 and 52 may be 2 /2 nylon webbing 20 mils thick with a tensile strength on the order of 1200 pounds.

Handles When the package embodying this invention is to be put to use, it is compressed and worked down under the journal into the position shown in Figures 4-6. Once in that position, the resilient core holds it in place and prevents it from working out of the correct position. When it is desirable to present a new surface against the journal, the package may be removed, turned over, and reinserted. Thus the used surface of the blanket will be facing downwardly in the journal box and the hitherto unused waste surface of the blanket will be in its uppermost position in contact with the journal. The package is therefore a two-sided or reversible one with a corresponding increase in useful life. It is contemplated that the ends of the waste blanket 13 will be joined in such a manner at 14 that the outwardly facing surface will present a substantially continuous lubricating surface when same is applied to a journal.

In order to make it easy to remove the package from the journal box, it may be provided with one or more handles comprising straps, fabricated of oil resisting rubber-like materials and canvas or jute webbing, and made fast to the lubricator package substantially throughout the length of the latter and extending toward the entrance to the journal box. A pair of such straps 58 are shown in Figures 1 and 3-6. Each strap may be provided with a metallic end piece 60 having an opening 62 to receive a hook similar to that ordinarily found on the box packers tool and by which the package may be withdrawn from the journal box. As shown in the drawing figures, the straps 58 are secured to the inside of the envelope, at the sides of the package by vulcanizing, stitching or both, or by any other suitable means.

This application is a continuation-in-part of applications Serial No. 345,552, filed March 30, 1953, Serial No. 367,321, filed July 10, 1933, and Serial No. 419,029, filed March 26, 1954, which have matured into Patents Nos. 2,747,952, 2,762,667, and 2,801,138, respectively.

The foregoing description and the drawings are given merely to explain and illustrate my invention, and the invention is not to be limited thereto, except insofar as the appended claims are so limited since those skilled in the art who have my disclosure before them will be able to make modifications and variations therein without departing from the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a journal box packing including a resilient core encircled by an envelope, the improvement wherein the envelope is secured to the packing by an H-shaped strap comprising a pair of legs connected together by a web, said legs extending longitudinally of the packing and secured to the envelope at their ends, said web extending crosswise of the packing through the core, said legs each being secured to said core intermediate of their ends.

2. In a lubricator packing for a railroad car journal box of the type in which the floor of the box serves as an oil reservoir and oil is lifted by the packing to the undersurface of a car axle journal that extends into the box, said packing comprising a resilient core formed from an oil resistant material and comprising a plurality of parallel tubes extending longitudinally of the packing, an envelope encircling said core, and means for securing said envelope to said core, said means comprising an H-shaped member including a pair of elongate strip-like elements.

positioned on opposite sides of said core between said core and said envelope and extending generally longitudinally of the packing, with the respective ends of each of said elements being secured to said envelope at the ends of the packing, and a web extending transversely of the packing connecting said elements to each other, said elements being secured to said core intermediate the ends of said packing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,825,827 Smith Oct. 6, 1931 2,079,734 Ditmore May 11, 1937 2,115,457 Cunningham et a1. Apr. 26, 1938 2,369,006 Banks Feb. 6, 1945 2,672,673 Shaw Mar. 23, 1954 OTHER REFERENCES Perfect Journal Lubrication, published by Lubrication Products (10., June 1, 1937. 

